China cybersecurity group seeks review of Intel products for possible breaches

Initiating a review would help safeguard national security and the interests of Chinese consumers, the group said

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A proposed cybersecurity review of Intel products sold in China threatens to heat up tensions between Beijing and Washington. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 9:42pm, 16 Oct 2024Updated: 3:12pm, 17 Oct 2024

A Chinese cybersecurity group has called for a review of Intel products sold on the mainland, alleging that the US semiconductor giant’s chips pose a threat for “frequent vulnerabilities and high failure rates”.

The Cyber Security Association of China (CSAC) said in a WeChat post on Wednesday that Intel’s central processing units (CPUs) have shown multiple vulnerabilities in the past and that certain chip series from the firm caused video games to crash.

Such product weaknesses may expose users to hacking via a secret back-door system in Intel’s chips, according to the group. It also accused Intel of responding slowly to previous complaints about being breached.

The CSAC recommended a cybersecurity review of Intel’s products sold on the mainland “to effectively safeguard China’s national security and the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese consumers”.

An Intel chip is displayed during the Computex trade show in Taipei, Taiwan, on June 4, 2024. Photo: AFP

Intel’s China unit said on Thursday it strictly abides by the laws and regulations of the country, and has always prioritised product safety and quality.